Tatsumaki
by sabakunofaye
Summary: Fuuka, a mysterious and somewhat eccentric girl with a strange eye, is sent to Suna to study under Temari as an aspiring wind-user. Nothing could go wrong, or at least that's what she thought, until she meets Gaara, a boy she insulted in the past. Will they crash and burn, or will their hate turn into something else? And can he uncover her secrets? NOT YOUR TYPICAL GAARA/OC PLOT.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic, so please be gentle. This is a Gaara/OC story, but I promise it won't be the typical 'Gaara's lost, childhood friend who he attacked in a rage comes back as an assistant to the Kazekage and rescues/is rescued by Gaara' story. At least I hope it won't be.

Please note that I am sticking with the traditional Japanese way of introducing names, so the last name will be before the first name. For example, John Smith becomes Smith John. I'll also be using some common Japanese terms, and of course some Naruto terms in Japanese. You can find the meanings in an author's note at the bottom.

Enjoy!

* * *

Prologue:

"_Sugoi_! Fuuka-chan, your eye is so cool!"

"The design is pretty,"

"No, it's cool!"

"It looks like a _doujutsu_,"

"What does it do?"

"_Sugoi_! Fuuka-chan is so cool!"

"I thought there were only two,"

"No, my daddy said there were three _doujutsu_,"

Two brown eyes blinked, one which was interesting, and smiled at the fellow children crowding around. Tatsumaki Fuuka, the center of all the attention, basked in the praise and proudly answered, "No, it doesn't do any special jutsu like that. It's a genetic mutation that makes my eye look special."

Fuuka, of course, had no idea what a genetic mutation actually was. Neither did the other children. Both pretended that they did.

More excited chatter sounded around the six-year-old, boosting Fuuka's ego even further. At another _sugoi_, she smugly added, "It's very rare, only happens in my family, and even then only my great-aunt has ever had it. Besides me, of course."

In a matter of minutes, Fuuka had quickly become the leader of the group, picking the games and bending the rules to her whim. Together, the children raced down the streets of Sunagakure for hours, with many a giggle and _sugoi_! When time came for goodbyes and farewells, Fuuka had quite a bit of trouble struggling away from the '_sugoi _kid', as she liked to call him, who had latched on to her as if she were his lifeline.

* * *

Humming a tune her mother would sing for her, with gritty sand in her shoes and flyaway hair, Fuuka walked towards home. Her parents had wanted her home early that day to pack. Mr. Tatsumaki, being an aspiring businessman, decided to leave Suna and become a travelling merchant. This was an exciting prospect for Fuuka, indeed. She would get to travel, explore new places, visit the other hidden villages! With a happy skip in her step, Fuuka rounded the corner and ran smack into another child.

Or she thought she did, because when she opened her eyes all she saw was a wall of sand. "Huh," she said to herself as she patted the strange wall, "Interesting."

Fuuka gazed intently at the wall of sand, before smartly knocking on it, and the sand instantly crumbled away. _Heh, that'll show you, you stupid wall. Nobody messes with the amazing Tatsumaki Fuuka, _she thought to herself, as if she actually did destroy the wall herself.

Dusting off the sand that had settled in her hair, she looked up to see the kid she thought she bumped into. At that moment, when their eyes locked, Fuuka's breath was taken away, as was the other child's.

The kid gazed at her in amazement, in awe. He was usually quiet and reserved, and his outspokenness in that moment proved his astonishment, "Different.. You look different, like me."

Fuuka was gaping as well, unable to speak. _This…_

"Your eyes are brown, but the right one has a green design, like a strand twisting and curling around your pupil,"

_This boy…_

"It's strange, but it goes nicely with your blonde hair, it looks like gold,"

_This boy is…_

"It's… you're very pretty," he declared shyly, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

… _incredibly ugly! _

Silence ruled the nearly empty street as Fuuka attempted to collect herself. Her mouth was open in a horrified gape as her eyes roved over the boy. Ghastly white skin screamed of sickness, and his eye bags were so pronounced and dark, it made her wince. She felt sick just looking at him. And that hair! She had no right to argue what with her eye, but that red hair was simply strange and out of place. A hideous red colour at that. His only redeeming quality was his sea green eyes, but even those could not help the rest of him.

"Would you like to play…" he trailed off, noticing that her amazement wasn't quite the same as his own.

"Absolutely _not_!" she screamed when she finally found her voice.

The boy's face darkened with sadness, hurt, and resignation. "I see," he said in a voice that shouted loneliness, and whispered acceptance. As if he faced rejection every day.

"I would never, and I mean _never, _play with a boy as ugly as you!" Fuuka spat, before running towards home, leaving the shocked and lonely boy alone in the sandy street.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! So, what did you think? Tell me by reviewing, I welcome constructive criticism.

I also apologize to any Gaara fangirls who were insulted by Fuuka's description of him.

Sugoi: cool. Pretty much means, "Wow, that's great!"

Doujutsu: Eye Techniques, like the sharingan or the byakugan.


	2. Chapter 2: Last Day

A/N: Sorry for the late update, I've been busy with school, and mapping out the main story line for this baby. Unfortunately there is no Gaara in this chapter, and probably not in the next one either. Hopefully to make up for it, this chapter is over twice as long as the first one (yay). The story picks up just after the time skip and will follow the canon story line very closely for the next couple of chapters (trust me, I went through the episodes meticulously to see where I can let Fuuka interact without changing it _too_ much). Don't worry though, afterwards it will be mostly original plot. Well, without further ado, I present to you the first chapter of _Tatsumaki!_

Warning: Mild swear words. Very mild, but still. Don't want to offend anyone.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's plot line, or it's characters. I do own Fuuka, Miru, and Sugoi Kid. (I apologize, I forgot to add a disclaimer in the prologue)

* * *

Chapter 1: Last Day

"Oh my."

I had bumped into a woman on the street, my groceries almost flying out of my hands, and as soon as my eyes had locked with hers she had given a start of surprise. Didn't surprise me much, since everyone who saw my eye were at least intrigued by it.

"Pardon me," I said, being as polite as possible. My great-aunt would tan my hide if I was rude to a stranger. Not that she wouldn't rip them a new one.

"Your eye, it wouldn't happen to be a _kekkei genkai_? It's different," she asked, tilting her head at me in wonder. I snorted.

"I could say the same to you," I retorted, and it was true. Her eyes were red with a ring around the pupil, the space in between a darker shade. Taking a closer look, I noticed she was a shinobi. Damn woman should know there's only three doujutsu.

"I suppose that's true. It doesn't look like any of the doujutsu's anyways. Have a nice day," she laughed off my sarcasm, and continued on her merry way. So she did know.

Rolling my eyes, I began to walk the rest of the way to my great-aunt's house. Apparently gossip about the batty old shut-in's grand-niece and her weird eye hadn't reached everyone's ears, even in the three years I've lived here.

It wasn't so bad, here, in Konohagakure. The place was the most beautiful of the hidden villages in my opinion; heck I've been to a lot of places travelling with my parents and this place was pretty darn easy on the eye. The streets were colorful with the mismatched houses and shops, flowers bloomed everywhere and I swear the place was in a constant state of springtime. When the temperature dropped or went up a few degrees, the residents called it 'winter' or 'summer'. The people were friendly, the shinobi too when they weren't on duty or their friends weren't severely injured and about to die.

Even the Hokage Mountain, which I would normally say was gaudy, gave off a sense of security, as though the previous Hokage were watching over us. Which, I suppose, served its purpose since it was built as a symbol of them forever looking over us. When I mentioned the sense I got to Ayame, she had given me a weird look before saying yes, yes it did when you thought about it. Guess I'm the only weirdo who actually thought about it.

Pausing in my leisurely walk, I looked up to Hokage Mountain and examined each face. I will admit I have mixed feelings about them. Whenever I looked at them, it was like I could feel their pride as they gazed over the village, and sometimes it was like I could feel _them_. The people themselves, not just their power.

The Shodaime Hokage, to me at least, was the most profound. He seemed warm, kind, accepting, and yet he possessed a greatness that transcended the other Hokage, and believe me they were amazing. Niidaime Hokage, who I'm told was the Shodaime's younger brother, seemed to be a cooler, and more logical version of his brother- and obviously less profound. Mentioning Sandaime brought a smile to the villagers' faces, as they all still remembered the wise and loving Hokage of their past. My eyes warily wandered over to the next face. Yondaime Hokage was both my favorite and the one who made me the most uncomfortable. He seemed to be calm and collected, yet warm and caring. Playful too, which I loved. Yet what made me uneasy was the intense sadness that speared through me whenever I looked at him. Like a feeling of hope, a hope so great and deep that it fills one to the brim, but died before it ever reached me. My eyes quickly darted to the next, Godaime Hokage. Looking at her carved stone face, there was a sense of deep passion there, and a great trauma that-

I snorted and continued walking. Yeah right. I knew this one, and she was a violent, batshit crazy medic-nin. What the heck does Fuuka know about the other Hokage? Idiot.

Noticing two figures walking in my direction, I ran and called out to a familiar one, "Oi! Shikamaru, I haven't seen you in awhile."

"Been helping set up the Chuunin Exams. You entering?"

"Nah, too troublesome. Don't like hardcore missions."

"Troublesome," he agreed.

"Who's this, your girlfriend?" I asked, my eyes landed on the blonde kunoichi next to him. Her hitai-ate claimed she was from Sunagakure.

"Who'd date this lazy excuse of a shinobi?" she laughed (Shikamaru muttered 'troublesome') before fixing me with a determined stare, "The name's Temari, I'm helping with the Exams on behalf of Suna. Who are you?

"Fuuka, Wind-user extraordinaire!" I grinned, taking a liking to her immediately. She was clearly too cool to ask about my eye.

"Fuuka?" she asked in surprise, "As in Tatsumaki Fuuka, Hagoromo Miru's grand-niece?"

"Yeah, that's right. How'd you know?"

"Let's just say I had a nice chat with her the other day," she had a knowing look and smirked at me, "I'll be seeing you again, Fuuka." Wait, _what?_

"See ya later, Fuuka," Shikamaru said after shooting Temari a weird look, following after her.

"See ya?" I called out uncertainly, but they were already gone. Had a chat with Miru-baachan? I was ninety-nine percent sure she was mistaken. That old bat didn't just go around having chats with random foreigners.

I shrugged it off and went on my merry way back to great-aunt Hagoromo's. This morning was pleasantly peaceful.

* * *

"You _forgot _the _eggs_!" she spat at me before throwing a tea mug.

"We still have a couple in the carton left!" I screamed, dodging the mug and green tea that came spilling out.

"That's three eggs, _three_! You'll have finished them by the end of the day, you lousy pig!" Spittle flew.

"I'll just get some more tomorrow!" I ducked as a stray ash tray came flying at me.

"No, you imbecile. You won't!"

"The heck, you crazy old bat! You expect me to remember everything you ask at _seven o'clock_ in the _morning_, then you complain about my one mistake in over a year and _forbid me_ from getting more eggs! Seriously!" A strong gust of wind blew through the room, fluttering the pages and our hair. Well, my hair. Hers was more like tufts of white clinging to her skull. _Crap._

"Don't you dare call me any such name, Fuuka. I am an elder and I am to be treated with the respect I deserve. Only Miru-sama or Hagoromo-sama are acceptable," she wheezed, her voice dropping dangerously low. "Now clean up this mess. Do it normally while you're at it."

"Hai, _shishou_," I emphasized sullenly, knowing it would tick her off. She hated being reminded she was stuck with teaching me.

"I fear the day you actually listen to an order, for I am certain hell would have frozen over," she grumbled in response, lighting a cigar and puffing out the thick, poisonous smoke. How is this old goat still alive?

Muttering curses under my breath, I bent down to retrieve the broken pieces of mug and ashtray (we kept several extra around to accommodate Miru-baachan's tendency to chain smoke and throw random objects). And I used to wonder why my family never visited her or Konoha in our travels.

Growing up, Konoha was one of the places I desperately wanted to see. I mean, come on: pleasant weather, shinobi village, and the Hokage Mountain made it kind of a tourist attraction, believe it or not. Sure, we travelled around and got to see all kinds of places. Heck, it was so exciting at first, but then it got kind of boring and old. Lonely too. So if I was going to claim to be a traveler extraordinaire (yes, I tack on 'extraordinaire' at the end of all my titles), then I should have at least been to all the shinobi villages. Now I don't blame my mum for wanting to avoid this _beast_.

Granted said beast is crazy, violent, rude, a loner, evil and past her expiry date; yet she was also highly intelligent, wise in her own sick and twisted way, and extremely talented. Miru-baachan's also one of the few qualified to handle me, albeit in a highly unwilling fashion. It took me a while to recognize her good points, her wisdom was evident once you caught some of the philosophical phrases that shone through her insanity.

Though when I say she is a loner, I mean extreme hermit. I kid you not, she has not left the house or the surrounding property in years. She is somewhat regarded as a mystery of Konoha, as literally none of the inhabitants have even caught a glimpse of her, save for Sandaime and maybe most of the Sannin. When I first came to live here, the residents laughed at me when I told them I was her grand-niece. Thought I was pulling their legs. It took the Hokage for them to believe me. Which explains why I didn't believe Temari when she said she had a 'chat' with Miru-baachan. Also why some people still asked me about my infernal eye.

This crazy old bat is the only other one in our known family history who shares my genetic mutation. The same dancing green strand that swirled around our right pupils. Nobody in the village had seen it before they met me. Her icy blue eyes glared at me through the smoke vehemently and she barked at me to finish up and sit with her at the small, creaky table.

"Fuuka," she ground out my name as if it were the most detestable name she had come across in all her million and one years of life. I sometimes liked to pretend that was her way of showing love.

"Yes," I said warily. Usually she was the one to avoid our chats, and rarely initiated conversation unless it was to rant or insult me and the universe. Suspicious.

"I have made it my mission since you arrived here to show my hate and disgust for you." Well then. Interesting conversation starter, and are you _frickin' kidding me?!_

"I hate people, especially you." Thank you, thank you so much Miru-baachan. That makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Your stupidity and thick-headedness astound me. You still haven't taken the hint to leave, you even try bothering me and _initiating conversation. _Insults seem to bounce off you like rubber bullets. They hurt, but they don't permanently, and gruesomely, scar. My life was perfect before you barged into my life like this." Oh sweet Lord, my crazy old bat was giving a monologue. Looks like hell was freezing over a little earlier than expected. I was stunned, unable to speak yet.

"Before you came, I was happy. I was _alone. _Oh, so amazingly alone. You just had to choose Konoha to settle down. Of all the places your vile father had to agree to dump you, it just had to be _Konoha_. Being the only one suitable outside of the Sarutobi clan to take you, my hand was forced."

"I wouldn't have insisted if I knew what was waiting for me," I grumbled.

"I hate your father, Fuuka," she continued, ignoring my comment. "He's a spineless git, it was absolutely horrifying when my brother's daughter married him. I did not, in any way shape or form, wish to have been connected to him. I knew he was worthless the moment I laid eyes on him. I silently prayed that he'd die early in life and that your mother would find another man. Unfortunately, fate likes to turn your wishes against you," she finished bitterly.

"So, the reason you hate me is because of my father?"

"Of course not, you fool. I am not so ignorant as to hate someone based on their parentage, the soul is not bound by blood. I hate you for you."

"Excellent," and in some weird way, I truly thought it was. At least I wasn't judged by my father.

"To get to the point. I really, desperately wish to get rid of you. I had no way of doing so… until now."

"Huh?"

"You won't be getting eggs for me tomorrow morning, Fuuka, because at the end of the day you will be leaving for Sunagakure with Sabaku no Temari, to train under her."

Slowly, she leaned forward through the thick, white smoke and puffed out a nauseous cloud from her cigar in my face. Her pale blue eyes seemed to glow as they pierced me through the thick haze, her right one a shimmering green mystery.

"Today is your last day in Konoha."

* * *

A/N: Dun. Dun. _Dunnnnnnnn_! I feel fairly proud of this chapter, even though a lot hadn't happened (besides the obvious). I mean, story wise it spanned maybe an hour and a half. The morning isn't even over yet. I'm thinking that those who actually read the disclaimer were at first thinking to themselves, "Oh, Miru is probably some new, young OC girl." Well, did her character surprise you? I'm actually very fond of Miru's character and will probably elaborate more on her character a couple of times throughout the story. You guys won't be seeing her for a looong while (story-wise) and she likes it that way, thank you very much. Also guys, feel free to point out if Fuuka seems like a Mary-Sue. I am consciously trying to write her away from that, and it would kill me if she turned out to be one by the end of the story. Really I'm trying to limit her 'specialness' (is that a proper word?) to her eye and any other traits she inherits from her family (like the Inuzuka and their noses, or the Uchiha's with their affinity for fire). Oh, and if characters seem a little too OOC. I want to stay true to the character's personalities, at least. Question's? Comments? Complaints? Review! Review! Review! Reviewing is love.

-sabakunofaye


	3. Chapter 3: What to do?

A/N: Hello again, my beautiful readers! I want to thank DemonoftheNight3 for reviewing and another guest reviewer. It really encourages me to update more often when people leave reviews! And seeing as how this has updated 4 days after my last chapter, it makes a huge difference X) I spent my whole afternoon and evening typing this up, so I hope you enjoy! Well, here is the next chapter of _Tatsumaki!_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Fuuka, Miru, and Sugoi kid are mine though.

* * *

Chapter 2: What to do?

"_Excuse me?!_"

"I see your random fits of deafness has resurfaced. Very well, I will repeat myself. You, Tatsumaki Fuuka, will be moving to Suna at the end of this day with Temari, a highly capable wind-user, to be her apprentice. This is exactly why I wish to be rid of you; you are always spacing out and not listening," my great-aunt Miru calmly replied.

"That's not what I meant! This shouldn't even be possible, what your saying doesn't make any sense!"

"And why not?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm a shinobi of Konoha, I've completed missions, they won't let you get rid of me. It would be a risk to the village, I could give Suna critical information about our security or something. They'd brand me a traitor for leaving, I won't have that!"

"Firstly, you are not even a shinobi of Konoha and they don't consider you one," I flinched at that, but she ignored me and continued on. "You haven't gone through traditional Konoha training. You never graduated and have not received your hitaite, in fact, the only reason they let you on missions is because Tsunade-gaki is soft-hearted, understands your situation and allows you to gain real training experience.

"And on the subject of missions, calling them 'missions' is like calling a sprout," she paused, taking another puff off her cigar and filled the room with more white smoke. "A forest. You've done a total of fifty-two D, twelve C, and zero B, A, and S missions. All of them solo missions. The most information you can reveal about your missions and Konoha shinobi is which citizen needs help weeding their garden and that Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hinata have 'cool-looking eyes.'"

I sat there, stunned at what she was saying. I didn't think she ever paid attention to what I was saying, let alone the names of shinobi from my generation. It felt surreal, what she was saying, like she was talking to someone else.

Our small table was creaking with the force I was clutching at it with, my head began to swim in the smoke swirling around my eyes. I coughed on it.

"In fact, this little trade would be both beneficial for Suna and Konoha. I've already spoken with Tsunade-gaki and sent a letter to the Kazekage-gaki, and they both agree with the exchange. This will strengthen relations with Suna, and Tsunade-gaki trusts them, you would be doing Konoha a service. It's not unreasonable for you to go back, you were born there after all. Fuuka, you will always be a citizen of Suna first."

"But I- but I don't want to leave!" I cried at her, unable to stand it anymore. I felt sick.

"What you want inconsequential," her flat tone was void of emotion.

"Konoha has been my home for the last three years! I've put down roots here, you can't just- just uproot me like this."

"Yes, actually, I can," she replied dryly.

"Miru-baachan, you're the only family I have left to stay with," I said quietly. "I can't go back to travelling with my dad, I can't live like that anymore."

She sat there in silence now, regarding me with unreadable eyes. She puffed on her cigar, the smoke pervading her lungs before blowing out into the room.

"Nothing is waiting for me in Suna, it ceased being my home years ago. Everything I have left is here in Konoha," I whispered, tears pricking at my eyes as I looked at her. I dropped them to stare at the table.

"That is where you are wrong, Fuuka," my eyes snapped up to look at her again. "There is nothing for you in this village. You cling to the past, here in Konoha, and hide from the future in Suna. Your future lies only in Sunagakure. And it is waiting for you to liberate it."

"What bullshit are you talking about, 'liberating my future in Suna!' The only thing waiting for me in Suna is the past. The only thing that is waiting for me there is _death_!" I screamed at her in rage. A huge gust of wind blew into the house, forcing open the windows and door and clearing the room of the cigar smoke.

"Fuuka!" She shouted at me and got up. I couldn't, I can't leave this place. Not yet.

I pushed off the table and ran out of the house

* * *

I panted. The sun was high above my head, indicating a couple of hours had passed since morning. _One more, _I thought to myself, and shot the kunai at the dummy. It hit with an audible thud, a little off centre. I fell back with a sigh, spread-eagled on the grass of the training grounds, and cracked an eye opening when I heard clapping from behind.

"What, are you stalking me now?" I asked the red-eyed woman from earlier, my voice dripping with sarcasm. She was standing over me and smiling.

She laughed, "No, I just came here to train with Hinata when we saw you performing that jutsu."

"Hinata-chan?" I sat up and looked around, and saw the Hyuuga heiress smiling shyly at me. "Hey, Hinata-chan. Why you training with red-eyes over here?"

"Fuuka-chan, she is my sensei," she admonished quietly.

"Sensei?" And then it hit me. "Oh _shit_, you're the elusive Yuhi Kurenai!"

"I'm hardly elusive," she replied humbly, "I find it hard to believe you met Kakashi before me in the three years you've lived here."

"Ha, yeah that guy's a bag full of mysteries," I rolled my eyes. "I find it hard to believe you haven't heard about my eye from Kiba or the gossip."

"Oh, I did," she grinned down at me. "It just looked so different, I had to ask if it did anything special."

"Great," I sighed in exasperation and laid back on the grass. Hinata walked over into my line of vision, looking concerned.

"Sorry, though I will ask you one more question," Kurenai began and I raised my eyebrow at her. "I didn't see you use any hand signs for that jutsu." That wasn't exactly a question, but whatever.

"That? It's just practice for control and perfecting my aim." I half-lied smoothly. I've learned over the years that the best lies always have the truth in them.

"I see," she frowned at me. Man, these jounin are sharp.

"Ne, Fuuka-chan," Hinata began quietly. Yes, saved by the Hyuuga! "You don't usually… train like this."

"Train like what? I did my usual routine," I asked her, confused.

"But the training field…" she trailed off.

"The training field?" I sat up again and looked around for a second time, and then I saw it. Oh, _crap_.

The training field was completely demolished. The ground was carved in multiple places, deep grooves cutting into the earth. The field was looking suspiciously wider, the outer ring of trees looked to be blown back, the ones beyond that missing branches. A couple had their own branches hanging limply by strands. All the training dummies were unrecognizable and strewn across the ground, save for the one I was just attacking. I think the only unmarred spot was the patch of grass I was laying on.

I laughed nervously. I hadn't even realized how much destruction I was reaping on the poor training field. I bet I looked like an avenging angel while doing it.

"Did something upset you?" Hinata asked in a tremulous voice. I stiffened, reminded of my plight, and about to snap at her to mind her own business. But that wouldn't be fair of me, taking out my sadness on Hinata. The fact she was brave enough to ask meant she was really worried, so I sighed, got up and decided to just tell them.

"I'm moving to Suna by the end of the day," trying to force my voice to be normal. I failed when my voice shook at the last word.

"You're transferring to Suna?" Kurenai asked, surprised. I nodded.

"But Fuuka-chan, you're a shinobi of Konoha and you've completed missions. You can't go," Hinata stated with a strength that surprised me.

"Actually she can. She's not an official shinobi and hasn't completed any missions that would put the village at risk. Has Tsunade-sama and Kazekage-sama agreed?" I nodded again, not trusting my voice.

"Then it's final. May I ask why you're leaving?"

"Miru-baachan is forcing me to go," I spoke queitly.

"She's really still alive. Huh. She looked ready to kick the bucket when I was a kid."

"You saw her?" I asked, my eyes wide with disbelief. "The old bat hasn't left her house in forty-five years. You shouldn't have been born yet."

"I was dared into breaking into her house," she admitted sheepishly. "Back then it was rumoured to be haunted. Let's just say my fears were realized when I went into that house all those years ago. Something _definitely_ haunts that house, no offense."

"No way," I gaped at her, "And none taken. You were one gutsy kid. I'm surprised you're still alive."

"Fuuka-chan, how old is your great-aunt?" Hinata asked curiously.

"I'm not really sure," I admitted, glad for a distraction. "She calls Tsunade-baachan, 'Tsunade-gaki.'"

"Wow," Hinata replied in awe. "Shouldn't she be a generation older if she's been around that long?"

"Old family drama," I shrugged, a little uncomfortable. "Her younger brother, my grandfather, is a decade younger than her, though I don't know how old he was either. He cheated on his wife with my grandmother, and she was _way _younger than him apparently when they had the affair. She died in childbirth, and his wife didn't want to raise my mom. So Miru-baachan did."

"That's terrible," Hinata said quietly, her eyes sad.

"Yes it is. I'm sorry that your mother had to spend her childhood with that old witch," Kurenai said, her own eyes sympathetic.

"Kurenai-sensei! That's rude!" Hinata cried in shock, while I hollered in laughter and clutched at my sides.

"Gomen, Hagoromo Miru is just so frightening."

"Even now that you're a jounin?" I managed to choke out.

"Even now," she replied grimly. "I'd take Tsunade-sama over her any day."

"Ha, I put up with her 'cause she's family," my stomach rumbled. "I'm starving, I'm gonna go grab something to eat."

"Good-bye then, Fuuka. It was a pleasure meeting you, I enjoyed talking with you," Kurenai smiled at me. "Good luck in Suna."

"Yeah, pleasure's all mine."

"Fuuka-chan, will you say good-bye to everybody before you leave the village?" Hinata asked timidly.

I smiled sadly, "Probably not Hinata-chan. I'm not very close with the Konoha Eleven. I haven't even met the last one yet. You're probably my best friend. Hah."

I tried to laugh it off and joke about it, but even the ringing of my voice had a note of sadness, and tears welled up in my eyes. I held it in.

Hinata surprised me again, though. She knelt down and hugged me. Her voice was quiet, but fierce when she said, "I'll miss you too, Fuuka-chan."

And then the dam broke and I was sobbing in her arms.

* * *

I crashed onto the bench in the dango shop, exhausted and worn out physically and emotionally. I rested my head on my arms, and lulled off when the old dango lady tapped on my shoulder.

"Already worn out, dear? It's only afternoon." Afternoon? Shit, I must've been crying to Hinata for hours.

"Yeah, it's been trying day. I'll have some dango, please."

"Coming right up."

I turned my head to watch the street, mindlessly watching the citizens and shinobi walk by and go about their day. I saw the back of this one blonde nutter wearing all orange. I snorted. Blondes.

Shinobi were supposed to wear clothes that blended in with the crowd, not wear all black and masks that hide their faces, contrary to what citizens believed. True shinobi hide in the crowd, not the shadows. That's for ANBU. My own outfit consisted of a large, bright pink shirt with the old Hagoromo clan crest on the front, with one shoulder slightly hanging off, tight, black pants that ended at my shins, and the standard shinobi sandals. Complete with a pouch, bandages on the left thigh, and loose hair, you have Tatsumaki Fuuka. An unofficial shinobi that blends in. Pfft, all _orange_. That's a fashion statement right there. Then again, Gai and Lee's spandex suits are worse.

I found my eyes following the little, blonde idiot. He climbed up a pole and stood at the top, lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, and shouted, "Ah, it's good to be back in Konoha!"

The nutter went travelling in _those_ clothes? He-

I stopped, shocked beyond belief. The young shinobi had turned around, breaking my train of thought when I saw his face. I didn't even notice the old lady put down the plate of dango in front of me.

_What do I do?_

Oh hell, my mom told me a long time ago that I can be highly chakra sensitive to some people, but this was on a whole new level.

_What do I do?_

I couldn't describe this feeling. _These_ feelings, I should say. It was a sensory overload beyond belief. I wanted to gape in awe, face-palm, scream, cry, whoop for joy and throw up all at once. This blonde, idiotic shinobi provoked a sense of trepidation in me. I could _feel_ power coming off him in waves, and I was scared of how he would end up later in life. Pain. I also sensed pain from him, deep scars of loneliness that mirrored my own.

_What do I do?_

But there were two things that set me on edge the most.

_What do I do?_

That feeling, that joyful feeling. I had felt it somewhere before, only it was different. Instead of that great, feeling of hope that died prematurely; I got hope that filled me completely, a feeling of safety. It felt like everything was going to be all right. I wanted to dance and sing to the world.

_What do I do?_

The second thing, there was a malice hidden away, under the surface. Like a festering wound, or a prisoner biding its time. Great power, veiled with a great amount of effort from the world. Scariest part was, was that this evil and power wasn't the boy. It was something _else_, and ohgodisthatredchakrathereisredfreakingchakrawhyintheblazinghellistherered_freakingchakra_.

_What do I do?_

Hell, what do I do. Do I run, or stay. Should I try and get some information out of the kid?

"Naruto? Is that Naruto? Oi, Naruto!" I heard someone call out.

I didn't know what to do, so I promptly turned to the side and threw up.

* * *

A/N: Oh no, what the heck just happened here! That is a strong reaction to seeing Naruto, isn't it. Such is the problem with those hypersensitive to chakra. TEEHEE. But don't worry, this isn't an evil!Naruto fic, nor will there be any NarutoxOC. I've revealed quite a bit about Fuuka's family and a bit of their dynamics, but that's all you're getting for a while. And I know, I know, the whole future and past crap and the "the only thing waiting for me in Suna is DEATH" thing is corny and probably sounds like it came from some Shakespearean play, but it will become clear what they mean and what they're thinking in later chapters. And yes, she hasn't left the village yet, so you might not see Gaara in even the next chapter (please don't hit me.) I'll try doubling the length of chapters from now on, or increasing it by a third. SO! What did you guys think of Miru and Fuuka's fight? Or Kurenai, Hinata and their banter? Were they too OOC? Or what about Fuuka's sensitivity to Naruto? Thoughts, questions, comments, predictions? You know what to do! Review, review, review!

So how about it? A review for a starving author? I won't update until I get at least three reviews (c'mon guys, there's so much in this chapter!) You know you want to review~

-sabakunofaye

Gomen- Means 'sorry' or 'forgive me'

Gaki- Means 'brat'


	4. Chapter 4: Kamikage Mountain

A/N: This is not a new chapter, just fixing some errors. Thank you!

A/N: Hello again readers! ArtemisKirara7 has kindly written me my first critique (after I shamelessly begged him in a PM), and it has come to my attention that there is some confusion with the timeline of the story. **THIS TAKES PLACE WITH THE BEGINNING OF SHIPPUDEN**! Meaning Fuuka has been in Konoha the entire time Naruto went on his 3 year training trip.

This chapter is a bit of a filler, but I will be updating latest by Thursday!

**NOTE**: Kami can mean both God, hair, or paper. Kamikage Mountain is a play on the Hokage Mountain.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

* * *

I hacked and coughed, heaving the remains of my breakfast onto the dirt ground next to the bench I was occupying. My head was pounding incessantly, my vision blurred with black dots, and my ears were ringing with a high-pitched intensity; I couldn't see, hear or think. I heaved again, still feeling sick, but I'd already emptied my stomach. Tears began to stain my cheeks as I doubled over, clutching at my head. A strangled cry escaped my lips, but I couldn't hear it. Gradually, I registered rough hands gently holding my shoulders, and the ringing slowly morphed into a kind, old familiar voice calling my name.

"Fuuka? Fuuka, dear, what's wrong? Are you alright?" The old dango lady softly shook my shoulders.

I curled even further into myself and groaned, "I want to crawl into a corner and _die_."

A hearty laugh sounded from the old woman, and I winced as the loud sound hit my still sensitive ears. "Now we can't be having that! You wait here and I'll get you some water. The dango is on the house."

At this point I felt too ill to eat anything and too weak to object, so I settled for a frustrated groan and tightened my hold on my stomach as I felt her move away.

What felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few seconds later, she came back, gently forced me back into a sitting position and shoved a glass of water in my face. If I hadn't recovered a little bit, I would have resisted violently. I grasped the glass and drank greedily, washing away the gross taste in my mouth, the old lady long gone to fetch cleaning supplies for the mess I made. I looked back over to the pole and froze. The blonde powerhouse was gone.

I began to panic again, my breath coming out in shallow gasps, my eyes fixed to where he should have been. He clearly wasn't an ordinary shinobi. The power in his normal chakra was enough to leave me concerned, but… that malice! The malice I had felt was overpowering and I could still feel the oppressive sensation the red chakra left me. I knew for a fact that it was dangerous to let a man with malevolence and strange chakra, however young he may be, walk around the village. Even if I felt as though it wasn't the boy _himself_, even if he exuded a feeling of safety as well, I couldn't trust myself to be right about that. What if he's come to attack the village? Everyone I know could be in danger, Miru baa-chan too.

I had to do something, tell someone.

_I have to protect Konoha!_

Just as I was about to get up and dash to the Hokage office, I heard his voice bickering with yet another familiar voice on the street. I lowered my eyes to look across the road and blinked.

There he was, talking to Haruno Sakura, the Hokage's apprentice. I could see a sturdy old man with long, white hair laughing alongside them, talking as if they were old friends. This confused me, until I finally noticed his forehead protector and smacked my own protector-free forehead. Above his sky blue eyes was the clear and distinct symbol of Konoha.

I felt a little relieved that he was a Konoha shinobi, but I still felt tense and uncomfortable. Watching his laughing face sent a feeling of unease in me, I couldn't trust him completely with my fellow shinobi. _Not that it matters anymore_, I thought. _Seeing as how I'll be a Suna shinobi as soon as I leave the village._

Blonde hair, blue eyes, tanned skin, loud, wears all orange, friends with Sakura and was only just coming back to Konoha. So _this _was the guy that makes Hinata blush and stutter whenever his name comes up, Uzumaki Naruto. Huh.

"He seems exactly like they described," I said to no one in particular as I absently nibbled on some dango, my hunger returning. "Besides the whole scary, red chakra thing he has going on."

I heard a clatter to my right, and I turned to see a surprised looking ANBU. Or at least surprised from what I could tell by his body language; I'd bet anything he'd be wearing a shocked expression under that owl mask. Did he hear what I said? He might know what I was talking about.

"Can I help you?" I asked politely. The ANBU seemed to remember himself and settled in that crouched position they take when reporting. Was that really necessary?

"The Hokage requests your presence in her office immediately."

"Aw, c'mon. The Naruto guy is interesting, can't I at least observe a little?" I whined at him. Owl face stiffened as soon as I said Naruto's name and asserted that I had to go immediately. Ooh, there's some tension over here.

"Whatever," I huffed and got up to make my way to the Hokage office, hearing the distinct poof of the ANBU disappearing.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama, Fuuka-san is here to see you," Shizune announced as she opened the door to the Hokage office.

The old office seemed to creak and shift sideways under the weight of the sheer number of papers that took up every nook and cranny. The windows behind the desk barely let in any light, and the desk itself looked as if it were a mountain of official documents. The only thing that wasn't obscured were the pictures of the previous Hokage above the 'windows.' If I didn't know any better, I'd say Tsunade was trying to build a fort. Actually, maybe she was. A fort would make an excellent defense against Shizune and Sakura's nagging.

_Kami, that's a lot of kami_, I thought, suppressing a giggle at my pun.

"Tsunade-gaki," I barked in a perfect imitation of Miru baa-chan. "Quit horsing around and get to work, you young whippersnapper!"

A pair of light brown eyes appeared amongst the paper mountain, or as I now like to call it, Kamikage Mountain. They narrowed into an angry glare and the paper shifted and fell away with a great rumble, revealing the now standing Senju Tsunade. Really though, you could only see her head as the paper level reached her neck.

"Tatsumaki Fuuka!" The head of Tsunade snapped. "If it wasn't so difficult to escape this pile of paper, I'd have knocked you over the head for that."

"Hai. Gomen, Hokage-sama," I bowed, stifling a laugh. The idea of talking to a head for the rest of the meeting was downright hilarious.

She huffed indignantly then got right down to business. "As you may already know by now, which you should, you are being transferred to Sunagakure as a Suna shinobi." Ugh.

"Yeah, I do," I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sure you've heard Hagoromo's version of why you're being sent, now I'm going to tell you why _I_ have decided to send you back to Suna." I nodded warily at her, not quite sure I liked that she said 'back to Suna.'

"When Hagoromo came to us with the proposition of transfe-"

"_Whaaat?! _Miru baa-chan _left _the _house?!_" I interrupted in shock.

"No, of course not! She mailed a letter. About a week before Temari even came to Konoha, quite creepy if you ask me-"

"Who cares, she's always creepy, just continue!" I interrupted in exasperation. Honestly, only Miru baa-chan could pull something like that off.

"Quit interrupting me!" She screamed, and threw a hastily made paper shuriken at me, freeing an arm from the Kamikage Mountain in the process. I caught it, looked it over and almost face palmed. The woman was playing with highly classified information.

"As I was saying, when the proposition was made I decided to do a little research on how you have adjusted to life here in Konoha. Hagoromo had made some claims that you were practically a ghost here, so I wanted to confirm it. I had ANBU tail you for the last couple of days."

My mouth dropped open in horror, my eyes bulging out to gawk at her. She had me _tailed?!_

"You don't have any close friends. You barely interact with the shinobi in your age group, let alone any others. The closest would be Hinata, but I suspected that it isn't a close friendship because she's too polite to pry into your affairs, and you're too unwilling to share them. Shikamaru is the next closest, and you guys only watch clouds together like old men."

"We're close," I muttered dejectedly.

"Fuuka, you've only met Hinata's sensei _today_."

"Still met her."

She rolled her eyes at my childishness and continued, "That being said, you spend most of your time at home with that venomous old woman, and the rest is either grocery shopping or on the training grounds. You're secluding yourself, Fuuka. It's not healthy, especially as a shinobi with such a light workload."

"Yeah, well apparently I'm not an official shinobi, so the point is moot," I retorted bitterly.

The head gave a heavy sigh, the arm shrugging with it. "That may be so, but it still doesn't change the fact that you're behaving like a loner, like your great aunt even. Fact is, you came here to better yourself and you can't do that with that toxic lady and zero friends. Konoha and Hagoromo Miru aren't working out for you. A place away from her will help you, Fuuka."

"You're wrong!" I shouted. "That won't help, it has to be Miru baa-chan!"

"Fuuka-"

"Please," I begged for the second time that day. "She's all I have left. I'm all she has left."

The blonde head's eyes softened. "I see. I think I finally understand what you're trying to accomplish. But this only cements my decision, Fuuka. Hagoromo wants this too, and Suna is happy to welcome you back. You can't keep clinging to the past. Like I said, it's unhealthy."

"But it was mo-"

The door to the office opened, revealing Shizune and a familiar kunoichi. My eyes widened as I recognized Temari. She grinned at me as Shizune announced her presence to the head and the arm of the Hokage. "Hey there, Fuuka. Nice seeing you again." I glowered at her, which only seemed to make her grin even wider.

"Is that a fort?" Temari asked as she turned to bow to the Hokage.

"No, it's the Kamikage Mountain." I deadpanned, unable to resist.

"What?" Tsunade asked perplexed, then shook her head, sending papers flying. "Fuuka, the transfer is already official and has been processed. You're to head to Suna tonight with Temari."

"Don't I get a say in this?" I appealed.

"No, it's all up to your guardian seeing as you're under eighteen, and both your father and Hagoromo are fine with it."

"But shinobi are considered adults when they turn fourteen!"

"Well, seeing as you're not an official shinobi, the point is moot," she said dryly, throwing my words back at me. _Damn_.

"Oh, and one more thing. Since you're heading home with Temari to pack-" I was? "Inform Hagoromo I wish to see her in my office. There's some things I want to discuss with her in light of the conversation we just had."

I snorted at her, "Please. Me, an unofficial shinobi sending a hermit, and not just any hermit, but _that_ hermit, to visit you on a whim? Get someone more qualified." She sighed in frustration at that, and shooed us away with her free arm.

"You're dismissed."

Temari, seemingly amused by our exchange headed towards the door, when I stopped her, "I need a moment."

I turned to look back at the Kamikage Mountain. The piles and piles of paper that overlooked the room, watching over us, the occupants. Right there, in the centre of it all, was the Kamikage. Her blonde hair framed her confused face, her arm sticking out at an awkward angle. Her likeness will forever be printed on those pages, symbolizing her power.

Yes.

This ridiculous image will last me a good long while whenever I wanted a laugh at her expense.

I nodded at Tsunade, my face a mask of determination, and turned to walk out that door for the last time as a Konoha citizen.

* * *

A/N: So what did ya think? Reviewing would be nice. In fact, reviewing would be downright amazing. Like giving bread to a starving person, that is what reviewing is to me.

GAARA IS APPEARING NEXT CHAPTER! So stay tuned! And review. Reviewing is good. Next update is Thursday!

-sabakunofaye


	5. Chapter 5: Ray of Light

A/N: WOW! What's this, she's uploaded the next chapter a day earlier than promised?! I know, I know. I'm awesome. I didn't proofread this, so bear with me! Now enough with the praise, let's get on with the story already! Iiiiittt's... GAARA TIIIIIME!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Third Person POV

The young kage sat at his desk, silently contemplating the official papers before him. The office was fairly modest: a medium sized desk with the Sunagakure insignia inscribed on the front, a small desk in the corner in which his former student worked, a lamp and a withering, potted plant. Of course, there were also stacks and stacks of paper on both desks, and some even on the floor. Behind him, a panoramic view of his city could be seen, allowing him to observe his citizens and shinobi.

Right now, the office was empty, the sun setting low on the horizon. Gold rays pierced through the panes of glass, bringing out barely visible honey tints in his scarlet hair. The stoic jinchuuriki blinked his sea foam green eyes and a heavy sigh escaped his lips.

The papers awaiting his seal of approval were civilian transfer documents. Normally such a thing wouldn't be a problem; Suna would be regaining one of its citizens and adding a wind shinobi to their ranks, one of the rarest kind of shinobi. It was all very smooth, they- she- wasn't an officially registered Konoha kunoichi, so the next step after these papers was simply promoting her to genin or chuunin, depending on her capabilities.

Yet despite all this, a feeling of unease kept the usually calm leader from stamping the documents. A feeling that kept his hand frozen over the papers, long and slender fingers clutching the stamp. A feeling as though everything in his life would change, his path sealed as soon as he put his own official seal on the documents.

The rays of light winked out of the office, retreating with the sun as it disappeared over the horizon, and effectively pulling him out of his anxious thoughts.

The Kazekage blinked and sighed again. With an air of determination, he pressed the seal onto the papers. The sound of finality could be heard throughout the room as the stamp made an audible thump.

"Gaara," the door to the office slammed open, revealing the kage's brother, Kankuro. "It's changed."

"What?" His voice was raised slightly above his usual tenor, panic settled in his chakra coils, slowly spreading through his body. Had he been right? How could it have happened so fast? Was his life really about to change-

"My face paint has changed. Whaddya think? I like the new design myself," Kankuro grinned at his younger brother, oblivious to his previous unease.

A barely noticeable twitch appeared in the jinchuuriki's eye, the rest of his face a tightly controlled mask. He had to resist the urge to savagely throttle the puppet master.

Settling for glaring out the window, the younger brother stood up and turned towards the beautiful view of his village. The villagers were wrapping things up, hurrying to get to their homes and families for the night. The glare on the young man's face softened before he tilted his head to look at the sky. Spotting a large, white bird flying in the distance, the Kazekage's eyes narrowed once again.

Whatever change may come, whether it be change for his life or the village, it would not hinder him. He wouldn't let it.

Whatever danger may come to him, and especially to his village, he would stop it. No matter what it takes.

"Change, indeed," Sabaku no Gaara whispered before reaching a hand out for his armor.

* * *

Fuuka POV

I reached a hand out towards her. Temari had stopped in the middle of the road, her head tilted up and her gaze fixed on the setting sun. Her deep, blue eyes were narrowed and anxiety practically rolled off her in waves.

I gripped her shoulder, startling her and making her jump. "Don't worry, the sun is coming back in twelve hours," I said, my eyebrow raised at her behaviour. Temari relaxed and smiled at me.

"Sorry. I was just struck with this strange feeling," she trailed off, looking back towards the sky. "It would be dark out in Suna now."

"Oh yeah, the two hour time difference," I nodded and continued walking.

We had been walking back to my place in silence, me being a brat about my sudden transfer and she enjoying the quiet as she contemplated whatever weird stuff Suna kunoichi thought about. They were supposedly hardcore and had hearts of stone, so probably something along the lines of, 'how should I cook that kitten for dinner tonight,' or 'what can I do to make my student's life miserable as hell.'

While walking, I made eye contact with a tourist that looked to be from the Land of Snow. He made a small gasp at my eye and pointed to me for his wife to gawk at as well. I rolled my eyes when something occurred to me.

"Hey. Why'd you act surprised when you heard my name?"

"Hm?" Temari looked at me, pulled out of her strange, foreign, Suna thoughts. I think I might be developing an irrational bias towards Sunagakure.

"When I first met you. You knew who I was the moment you met me, you must have, so why act surprised?" I asked again, pointing to my right eye. We veered off the street and onto a road that lead through the woods.

"Oh that," she laughed. "Hagoromo-sama asked me to keep it a secret until she told you herself, I had to pretend not to know."

"Well, it was kinda pointless, you straight up told me you met her right after," I snorted at her.

She grinned deviously, "I couldn't resist. Your dumbstruck reaction was too good."

I glared at her and huffed. "So how long to get there?"

"Your house, ten minutes," she laughed at the fresh glare I sent her way. "Three days, maybe two if we rush." Huh, so not that far. About the same amount of time it took me to travel to Konoha from Iwa.

Then it hit us.

_Killing intent._

It was strong, malevolent. En par even with the strange evil I sensed in Naruto, it was _that_ hateful and deadly. It knocked the both of us over, even a jounin like Temari was unable to withstand it. We were in the woods, on the road towards…. my house.

The only place around this area was our house, meaning this killing intent was coming from there. Panic seized me as soon as I realized this. Dread tainted my chakra, the light breeze that was ruffling our hair became a strong wind as Temari began to panic too. She came to her own realization as well. Miru baa-chan!

_Damnit! _I screamed in my head. _No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening, I didn't think they'd be stupid enough to…!_

But there was no time to think. Both our heads snapped up at the same time and we launched ourselves full sprint towards the house.

_Make it in time_, I shouted at myself. _Oh god, please let us make it in time!_

The house was in sight now, and we quickly made it to the door, slamming it open.

"Hagoromo-sama, are you safe?!"

"Miru baa-chan, don't kill them!"

Temari froze on the spot, shocked and confused at both my words and the scene before her. I, however, was expecting it and put myself in between the unwelcome guest and my great aunt.

The table was flipped over, the plants upended, and the couch had gone through the wall. Right in the centre of the room was a mini whirlwind, capable of shredding flesh in a matter of seconds. On one side of the room, was a cowering ANBU, and on the other end was an enraged, royally pissed off, battle-ready Hagoromo Miru. Her face was deadly, even a grim reaper would cringe and hide. The look of death on her was one I only saw once before, when I tried giving her a hug and a kiss a few weeks after I arrived in Konoha.

I shivered at the memory before quickly dispelling her jutsu, my back to the pathetic ANBU that had curled up in a ball. Didn't blame him though, there's a reason my great aunt was called the Goddess of War during the Shinobi World Wars. Now I suppose they'd call her the Mummy of War.

"Miru baa-chan!" I shouted. "Calm down!"

She turned her wrathful gaze towards me. "This little shit entered _my_ house without _my_ permission. He interrupted my tea time. _Tea time, _Fuuka. He will pay with _my_ choice of appendages."

A whimper sprang from the seasoned shinobi behind me, and I wanted to curl up into a ball beside him and cry too. Instead, I took a deep breath and replied, "He came with a message from the Hokage."

"Tsunade-gaki?!" She shouted, fury twisting her face even more.

"Yeah, I didn't think she'd do something stupid like that too. She must've forgotten who she was dealing with."

She shifted her gaze towards the ANBU messenger. "You. What did the slug brat want?"

He whimpered again curled further in on himself. I sniffed. What was that smell? Did he… did he piss himself? I sniffed again and recoiled. Oh god, _he pissed himself!_

"He must be a fresh recruit," I muttered. I noticed an official scroll lying on the ground near him.

Convenient, so maybe Tsunade did realize who she was dealing with. Summons are usually ordered verbally; a written scroll would convey the message should the ANBU die or… go into a catatonic state. Convenient, yes, but I sure as hell wasn't going near the rank smelling man.

I looked over at Temari, who was still at the doorway looking at the scene with a shocked expression. Perfect.

"Hey, Temari," her head snapped to me. "Could you pick up the scroll while I guard him from Miru baa-chan."

This earned me a nasty glare from my great aunt, but it got Temari moving to pick up the scroll. Phew.

She bent down retrieved it, and was halfway through turning around when she froze. And sniffed.

"_**Fuuka!**_" She shrieked at me, and threw the scroll at my head. "_You could've told me he urinated on himself!_"

"But then you wouldn't have picked it up for me," I whined while nimbly dodging the scroll. Miru baa-chan caught it in midair and proceeded to read it.

She grunted at the message and the killing intent finally ceased. My tense muscles relaxed, and Temari stepped out of her battle stance. The ANBU collapsed from his ball and leaned against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief. It didn't affect Temari and I as much because it was directed solely at him, I have to give him props for that.

"You. ANBU brat. Inform the Hokage-gaki that if she wants a meeting with me, she'll have to come here." Whoa, he can only twitch. Miru baa-chan really did a number on him.

"Spineless git… Temari, escort the little coward back to the Hokage Office," she growled. Temari wrinkled her nose at the ANBU, clearly disgusted with the task set before her.

"Oh god, please no…" She groaned. "This has got to be the most sickening duty I've had to carry out in my lifetime."

She heaved the poor man onto her shoulder, looking as if she were about to cry. I smiled prettily at her, fluttered my eyelashes and gave her a little wave. She glared and flipped me the bird before poofing away with the craven shinobi. I am so glad that isn't me.

My great aunt gave a weary sigh and reassembled the room with a flick of her wrist, her wind chakra making little work of it. She sat down heavily and began making herself some tea. I sat down across from her, looking at her weary face curiously.

"So what'd it say?"

Her eyes snapped towards me before she replied, "It was a summons."

"I know that," I whined. "What'd it say about what you were going to discuss?"

"None of your business," she snarled. "Now shut up and go pack your bags, Fuuka."

I glared daggers at her before stalking off to my room, slamming the door behind me.

* * *

I stood before the gates of Konoha, carrying my luggage and looking up at the towering walls. _This might be the last time I walk through these gates_, I realized with a pang.

Temari poofed next to me, carrying her own sack on her back.

"You say your goodbyes?"

I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about the horrible goodbye between me and my great aunt before I left the house, my only family in Konoha. Turning around, I looked over at the village, drinking in the sight of the place that had been my home for the last three years. A tear silently dripped down my cheek before I roughly scrubbed it away.

"I'm ready," I said, my voice full of determination. I twisted away from the village and walked towards the gate.

With my first step outside the village walls, the last ray of sunlight winked out, plunging my world in darkness.

* * *

A/N: OH NOES SO SAD! THE DRAMA! AND SHE'S FINALLY LEFT KONOHA TOO! WOOT!

Savor this chapter, 'cause the earliest I'll be updating is in 2 week. However... if enough people review I might just push it to 1 WEEK! HAHA!

No seriously, please review. Reviews are like crack to me, I get on cloud 9 and type away like a giddy child.

-sabakunofaye


	6. Chapter 6: Ice Cold

A/N: Hiya readers! To those of you who I had promised an update over the weekend, I apologize. I had to stop writing due to a family emergency :(

I also apologize if this chapter seems all over the place, I was a little out of it when I typed this up

Well, without further ado, lets get on with the story!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

* * *

I shivered in the cold night air, my breath puffing out in chilly, white clouds. In my haste to leave the small house I shared- used to share with my great aunt, I forgot to change into warmer clothes for the night trip. Thinking about the drastic goodbye with the only family I cared about made my miserable mood worsen. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, refusing to cry in front of Temari. Not that she'd notice; she had been in her own worried bubble, absorbed in her thoughts. Probably anxious to get home. To Suna.

Fiery heat licked at the back of my eyes and my nose twitched as unshed tears threatened to turn into an outright snot crying fest. I did not want to go back to Suna, after so many years. To me it was a mocking reminder of the happier times of my childhood. Especially after the fight with Miru. I fingered the cold metal of the locket in the pocket of my pants. I'll have to fix the chain later…

_I slowly opened my bedroom door, peeking out at the living area to see if Miru was still there. I snorted. Of course she was, she never left. Stupid me. She was smoking a big, fat cigar, sitting in her usual place at the table. How could she sit there all day without anything to stimulate her mind? I entertained the idea of her having the ability to glimpse into the lives of random people and laugh at their misfortune. __Nah, she most likely reminisced on the thousand or so years of memory she has stored up in that old fluffy head of hers. Actually, this constant amount of boredom is probably what made her so crabby all the time._

_Her snort startled me out of my tangent before she snapped, "Are you just going to peek out at me behind a door like a timid rabbit, Fuuka?" _

_"I like to think of it more as a tactful observation of the current situation," I said as I pushed open the door and walked over to the table, carrying a bunch of storage scrolls under my arm. She responded with an ice cold glare.  
_

_I set down my scrolls on the table, and rolled one open. I glanced up at her, but she looked to be in deep thought, fingering a worn locket around her neck. I stared at it for a moment before going about the living area, picking up my knick knacks that were lying around._

_I relished the uncommon peace that settled around us. It kind of felt like a normal family thing, going about our business in relative calm without any snide remarks or arguing. It made me a little sad too, but I consoled myself with the prospect of visiting often. I happily hummed an old tune from my childhood. It was, unfortunately, the catalyst to our fight._

_"Stop that dreadful humming," Miru whispered in a deadly voice. It was filled with rage, the angriest I've ever seen her. I felt my body freeze as I was about to seal my stuff in the open storage scroll. I looked up to see her eyes closed, her old body trembling. Oh shit. I realized my mistake too late._

_"I'm sorry, Miru baa-chan. The song slipped out from old habit," I whispered back, only in a subdued tone. She didn't respond, only covered her face and rested her elbow on the table, the cigar snuffed out on the ashtray and her body still shaking._

_I'm such an idiot. I should've realized that the song would bring back painful memories, and somehow I managed to make even Miru genuinely upset. Fuck me. Maybe I could still salvage our last moment together before I left for Suna._

_"Ne, Miru baa-chan, I'll visit lots after I get to Suna. Once every two weeks!" She didn't move._

_"Or- or I'll visit every week... Twice a week even!"_

_She slowly moved her arm and tilted her head to look up at me. "I've told you once already, and I'm not going to say it a third time; today is your last day in Konoha."_

_My hesitant smile twisted into a slight grimace. "It's not as if I can't visit, Miru baa-chan."_

_"You can't. A Suna shinobi cannot enter another village's land unless given permission with a legitimate reason. Such a frivolous reason as visiting family is _hardly_ legitimate."_

_I opened my mouth to protest but she cut me off again. "If there is one thing I can promise you beyond a doubt, it is this. There will never again be a time when Konoha sunlight lights upon you. You will never again feel the warmth of the Konoha sun. It will never spark the Will of Fire within you," Her icy stare and tone made it feel as though the sun were already gone._

_The finality in her voice made me clam up, sending me to the edge of desperation, "Miru baa-chan, surely-"_

_"Fine, then. I'll spell it out for you, again," she hissed at me, her mood spiking. "I don't want you coming back. I don't want to see you."_

_"Obaa-chan," I begged. "Please. Stop."_

_Her gaze hardened even further at the name. She stood up in a fury. "When will you get it through your thick head?! It is that face, that damned face that I do not wish to see. It irks me to no end."_

_She grabbed at the locket from around her neck and broke the chain with a strength that was surprising for her age. She threw it at the table, the metallic oval bouncing from the force. "This is why. Your face is a mockery of the past, take a look inside if you wish to know."_

_But I didn't. I already knew what was inside that locket. I caught her staring into its contents from time to time, and out of curiosity, I peeked over her shoulder. What I saw made my skin crawl and my blood run ice cold. I had locked myself up in my room afterwards, wallowing in self-pity._

_I stared at the locket, and Miru stared at me. I didn't want to look inside, I never wanted to look inside it again._

_"Get out," she spat at me. "Get out now. And take the damned locket."_

_I fumbled with my things, finally sealing them into the scroll with tears pouring down my cheeks. I took the locket and stuffed it into my pants. I looked up at Miru, but she was pointedly glaring in another direction. I huffed, which sounded more like a sob, grabbed my storage scrolls and strapped them to my back hurriedly._

_I flickered to the entrance, and strapped on my shinobi sandals. I slammed open the door, but turned back before leaving._

_Miru's gaze had softened, back in deep thought as she stared once again at the drawings that hung on the wall._

_"Goodbye," I whispered before I dashed out of the house towards the gates of the village, the sun setting behind my back._

"Hey. Fuuka," Temari's voice woke me from my thoughts, the first words she had spoken to me in hours.

"Yeah?" I croaked out. Her blue eyes softened at me.

"Let's hurry back to Suna. I think it'd be better for both of us if we got there quicker."

"Yeah," I repeated, this time in confirmation. We quickened our steps before jumping up into the surrounding trees, leaping from branch to branch.

I looked over my shoulder, before addressing Temari, "A platoon of shinobi are headed in our direction."

She looked at me in surprise, "You're sure? I don't sense anything, and your profile stated that your chakra sensitivity only extended to differentiating between different types."

"You're right, and it's more of an on-off kind of thing. But this isn't my chakra sensitivity, it's less of a sensory thing and more of a feeling I guess," I grimaced. "I know it sounds unreliable, but I'm never wrong."

She looked at me wearily before sighing, "I always say trust your gut. Hostile?"

"No, but I think they're hurried."

She looked at me incredulously with a raised eyebrow as if to say 'you think?'

"Hey! You're the one who said trust your gut, and that's what it's telling me!" I said indignantly.

She sighed again but stayed on the alert. Eventually she stiffened, and confirmed the presence of a team, not a platoon, fast approaching with a warning to stay on guard.

I sensed their presence right before they landed on us, and one in particular caught my attention. _Oh shit no, not him._

They hit the branch a few paces behind us and we whipped around to face them. I gulped in terror, even though I knew they wouldn't attack. Probably.

"Naruto? And the rest of your team? What is going on?" Temari demanded in surprise, her anxiety level spiking through the roof. Oh boy, this is not good for her nerves.

"Yeah, you just got back to Konoha," I added, trying to keep the trembling out of my voice. The Naruto guy had had a serious look on his face, tinged with anger and that terrified me to no end. Now he was blinking at me in surprise, as was Kakashi and Sakura.

"How did you know that? What village are you from?" He asked me suspiciously.

"Konoha," I replied at the same time Temari said, "Suna."

Well, I guess both are true.

"Transferring to Suna." We said in tandem.

"Naruto, this is Tatsumaki Fuuka, the new girl you just missed," Sakura supplied and Naruto 'ohhed' as realization hit him.

"This isn't the time for friendly introductions," Kakashi started and everyone tensed once again. "Temari, your brother was taken by the Akatsuki and Kankuro has been poisoned by an unknown toxin while engaging the enemy. We just received a request of aid from Suna."

"Gaara? And Kankuro?" Temari gasped in shock, her tan skin paling to a ghostly white as blood drained from her face.

Gaara? The name sounded familiar, as was the group that had taken him. My memory tugged at my mind. I remembered when I glanced at the confidential documents that Tsunade had folded into a kunai and thrown at me. A... criminal organization was it? What would they want with Temari's brother?

"We're to retrieve Kazekage-sama and heal Kankuro," Sakura continued. Kazekage? Gaara? And then it clicked.

Temari's brother was the Kazekage! Oh shit, this is bad, very bad. An international incident has just taken place. Shit. I've had more drama today alone than the better part of my last three years in Konoha!

"We have no time to waste then!" Temari shouted, and we all raced towards Suna, bounding in blurs across the branches. We didn't even bother hiding our presence.

There would be no sleep for us until this S-class mission was completed. I may be transferring to Suna, but it isn't complete yet. This will be my last mission as a loyal member of Konoha.

-  
A day passed, and with no breaks, we managed to reach the border between Wind Country and Fire Country in a quarter of the time it would've taken us at a normal pace. Another hour of quick shinobi travel, and we would hit the tree line. Then, and only then, would we stop for a three minute water break.

Naruto sped up and ended up running beside me, I flinched away from him. He looked at me startled, before a look of resigned acceptance overtook his features. Somehow that look seemed familiar to me, as though I had seen the very same expression long ago...

I didn't think of his feelings when I reacted to him in such a way. I got the feeling he had similar reactions from others in his village, remembering the ANBU that was so clearly bothered by him. Guilt overrode my fear, and I felt the need to apologize.

"I'm sorry," I said to him quietly, trying to explain my irrational fear. "When I saw you earlier in the village, I got a very strong impression from your chakra. There's... another presence inside you. It's terrifying."

His mouth plopped open in a big O before he turned to send a look at his former sensei, who returned it with a shrug. He turned back to me and addressed Temari and Sakura as well, who were looking curiously at us.

"Yondaime Hokage sealed the Kyuubi in me the day I was born," he said warily, a tone that didn't seem to suit him. "It's the reason why the Akatsuki targeted Gaara. They're after the Bijuu, the one I have included."

Gasps from both kunoichi sounded and my eyes widened. So I hadn't imagined the red chakra! To think it was the Kyuubi this whole time. And the Kazekage, he was a jinchuuriki too! Of all the... Shit just got a ton more serious. _Why me?  
_  
I was too caught up in my thoughts, barely registering Sakura's solemn oath to protect her teammate from harm. If this Akatsuki group were after the Bijuu and not the jinchuuriki, then that would mean they'd have to extract the chakra creatures from the hosts, right? Won't they… won't Kazekage-sama and Naruto die from the shock? _Oh god, _I thought, feeling sick. _We have to hurry. We might even be too late…_

"Guys," I spoke up worriedly and interrupted them, glancing at the setting sun. "It'll take us another day to hit Suna. Won't they have already extracted the Bijuu by now?"

"It's not that easy to extract such a huge amount of chakra, Fuuka," Kakashi answered. "I'd say it'd take them anytime between three days to a week, depending on several factors such as method, amount of participants and if they're taking breaks to replenish chakra. Though I doubt S-class criminals would need to take a break for something like this."

Relief washed through me. Normally I don't take missions seriously, but this was clearly a special case. Too much was riding on this. Sabaku no Gaara, the Kazekage and brother of my new mentor, was taken by a criminal organization to have his Bijuu extracted. If they succeed, he will most surely die. And that was something we couldn't let happen. No matter what it takes.

* * *

A/N: Anyone spot similarities between this scene and the Gaara scene? I know, there's sooo much drama between Miru and Fuuka, but I promise no more angsty drama between the two of them. I'm curious as to what you guys think about the locket and the angst. Any theories as to why :3?

You know the drill, REVIEW!

-sabakunofaye

**One more thing!** My older sister, who doesn't watch anime and has limited knowledge of Naruto, borrowed my laptop, saw my fanfiction, and decided to troll me by writing a very short Naruto fic. I laughed so hard I decided to share it with you guys! XD She named it...

**A SENSUAL NARUTO FANFICTION!**

By Naila.

One day Naruto was walking down the street, and he saw that one chick with the pink hair. Her name was possibly Sakura. He thought _Dayum_, because he thought she was quite hot_._ So he ogled her. She thought, _who dis creepo?_

And almost like he sensed her thinking about his general person he whipped off his pants so she could stare in awe at his weiner, which he thought was quite massive. He called it his _Mastiff_.

Her heart fluttered a little in excitement.

Unfortunately this is as pornographic as this story gets because she was not impressed with his weiner. She thought it was more of a _Chihuahua_.

So she Kamehameha-ed him only ninja style and got on with her life. Naruto did not, he lived on in the woe and misery of his heartbreak.

Except one day he saw this hot Brunette called Naila. He got over his heartbreak really fast because that's how hot she was. Smoking. Only this time he stood no chance because Naila thought anime was really dumb.

Eventually Naruto killed himself over the heartbreak.

He died.

The end.


End file.
